The present orthosis invention relates to an, ankle foot orthosis designed for increasing the range of motion and correcting the alignment of a patient's foot and ankle.
Children having spasticity, a condition often scene in cerebral palsy and similar types of medical disorders, are generally confronted with muscle imbalance, as their muscles do not work together in the manner of non-spastic children. The spasticity makes their muscles overpower other muscles creating unwanted pulls or forces on their joints. This imbalance of muscle pulls and involuntary forces, usually called spastic contractures, creates misalignment of involved joints. If this misalignment is not corrected and range of motion restored, it will eventually lead to permanent deformity as the child ages.
Plantar flexion is a normal position when the foot is flexed downward. A spastic contracture of the posterior tibial muscles (calf) can hold the foot in that position and produce a shortening of the heel cord called equinus. This type of positioning can also be seen when there is a weakening in the anterior muscles or dorsiflexors. This shortened heel cord can generate additional undesirable positions, which can lead to permanent deformity if not treated.